THE POLICEMAN'S BALL

  Although I joke about Naples in the old days, and some of the funny things that happened, most of the time we got it right. And, in the process, built a great place to live. I wouldn't live anywhere else, and I've been around and seen what others have to offer. One of the things the NPD got right every year was The Policeman's Ball.

 We started it as a way to raise money for the kid's program, PAL. And, because a Policeman's Ball is a traditional get-together. We'd hire one of the old dance bands: Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, big names like that. Course, Glenn and Tommy and Harry were long gone but the music had been inherited by one of the band members.

 The first time I was involved in the hiring, the night of the ball one man showed up. He said he was the "Glenn Miller Band." Had been a actual member and owned the "charts", the original arrangements. I was terrified at the aspect of waltzing this dude out and claiming he was the band.

 He laughted. "The band will be here directly," he said. "I hire union musicians out of the Miami local for shows in South Florida."

 "But, can they play like Glenn Miller?" I asked.

 He smiled again, "I have the charts. If you have the charts a pro can play them. I could sound like The New Ashmolean Marching Society and Student's Conservatory Band if I had the Charts."
 And they did. Any band, every year. 
 The first time we held the dance, we had our officers carry tickets around and sell them. One officer was particularly effective. He was out-selling everyone. A big, intimidating man named Jerry, he'd go into a business, fan out a fistful of cards, and ask, "How many?" We had to tone his tactics down. 
 But, after the first dance, ticket sales were no problem. There was just no dance comparable to it in Naples. In fact, we had to limit the number of tickets so folks could fit in the venue. 

 Wonder why they don't still have them?